- Sneakers, sandals, bags and portfolio of Gucci, Yves Saint-Laurent, Vuitton... On Tuesday, an auction of property seized in drug cases was held in the capital's historic courthouse. The 277 lots presented in the catalogue are priced for a total of nearly 700,000 euros.
- The sale is organized by the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc), which has been managing the property seized by the courts since 2011, as well as by the National Directorate of State Interventions (DNID). The sums collected must be donated to the interministerial mission for the fight against drugs and addictive behaviours (Mildeca).
- The proceeds from the auction will "be used to fight drug traffickers and help addicts. It's a virtuous circle," said Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti.
The Salle des Pas Perdus of the old Palais de Justice in Paris transformed into a showroom. Like at BHV, you can find a little bit of everything: Gucci shoes, Louis Vuitton bags, Rolex watches, Prada glasses, Playstation 5s, Dyson vacuum cleaners. But also furniture, jewelry, a quad, bicycles and even a drill ... All the objects offered, often flashy, have been seized by the courts in cases related to drug trafficking. Their auction is organized this Tuesday by the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc) and the National Directorate of State Interventions (DNID).
The Minister of the Economy, who made the trip in the morning, stops for a moment in front of lot 177: Dior silk pajamas, apple green. Price: 200 euros. "Frankly, Eric, it would suit you great!" says Gabriel Attal to the Minister of Justice. "If you buy it this afternoon, I promise you I'll put it on," replied Éric Dupond-Moretti, amused.
"It's a virtuous circle"
The 277 objects proposed in the catalog were acquired "with the money of crime," says the Minister of Justice. The proceeds from the auction will "be used to fight drug traffickers and help addicts. It's a virtuous circle," he said. "We want to increase the resources for our police, gendarmes and customs officers to effectively fight against drug trafficking. We also want to increase the resources for our prevention policies, to prevent drug addiction. All the money you can find is good to take. We hope today to obtain an additional million euros from this sale, "adds Gabriel Attal.
"The proceeds of this sale will abound the fund of drug competition that Mildeca manages," details to 20 Minutes Nicolas Prisse, the president of the interministerial mission for the fight against drugs and addictive behaviors. The money earned "is then paid to the ministries in charge of the fight: the Interior, with the police and gendarmerie, Justice, and Bercy, with the General Directorate of Customs and Indirect Taxes which is very active in ports and airports. Mildeca retains 10% of the fund to carry out actions in the field of prevention," he says.
A "fun" idea
The two ministers continue their stroll through the auction room, where luxury watches are on display. "They have been completely dismantled and inspected," says Geoffroy Ader, a watchmaking expert at Place Vendôme. The piece with the highest estimate is a Rolex Daytona, "an iconic model that has been around for sixty years." Price: 8,000 euros. "This is one of the latest versions, with a ceramic bezel," explains the expert. Some watches have been "customized", i.e. set with diamonds. "It is an external sign of wealth" for the traffickers who had acquired it, observes Geoffroy Ader.
Pierre drags his long white beard in front of the stands of luxury sneakers. "I find the idea of appropriating an object from this environment funny," laughs this taxi driver. "It's a kind of appropriation of pop culture by Parisian bobos, if you will," he adds. François is attending an auction for the first time. "They were acquired illegally, so if money can come back to the state through that, it's a fair return," he said. There would be little illusion: in view of the world present in court, the auction may soar very quickly.
"He bought luxury vehicles that he resold"
At 13 p.m., the sale begins in the "major trials" room, which normally hosts exceptional hearings, such as the November 13 trial. More than 11,000 people also follow it live on the Internet. The nail is a white Lamborghini Huracan, parked in the courtyard of the courthouse. It was "confiscated by the court of Lorient," says Nicolas Bessone, the director general of Agrasc. Its former owner "was in the laundering of drug trafficking, he bought luxury vehicles that he resold," he says.
Finally arousing little interest, its price, set at 160,000 euros, is revised downwards. In the room, a man raises his hand, a netizen adds behind. The battle between the two buyers rages on. The sports car is finally won by the user, who will have paid 138,000 euros to afford it.
- Justice
- Drug trafficking
- Narcotic
- Eric Dupond-Moretti
- Gabriel Attal
- Paris
- Ile
- Court